UK police: sexual harassment becoming "very common" in AR/VR meta-universe

CheckCitation/SourcePlease click:dailymail

(XR Navigation Network January 03, 2024) According to the UK's Daily Mail.reportInvestigating incidents of "underage sexual abuse" in the metaverse. The NSPCC has warned that as meta-universes become more popular, tech companies must do more to protect users, especially young people, as this can have a devastating effect on victims.

The report states that the victim was a girl under the age of 16, and that this is the first case of meta-universe sexual assault to be filed by police in the UK.

据《每日邮报》报道，当时女孩的Avatar被一群陌生人“轮奸”，给16岁以下的她造成了巨大的精神创伤。

虽然受害者没有身体伤害，但警方表示，她的心理和情感创伤与现实世界中强奸受害者一样，因为虚拟现实体验是一个完全沉浸式的设计。

It is believed to be the first police investigation into meta-universe sex crimes in the UK, the report said.

VR headsets have become a popular gift this Christmas, according to the Daily Mail. The British Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Children estimates that 15% children aged 5-10 have used a VR headset and 6% children use a VR headset every day.

Now, British police are beginning to call for legislation to address the wave of virtual sexual assaults in this area, and are emphasizing that police strategies must evolve to prevent criminals from using new technologies to violate children.

However, this landmark case also raises questions about whether police and prosecutors should also pursue virtual crimes, given the large backlog of physical-world rape cases they have to grapple with, and whether these virtual crimes should be prosecuted under existing laws.

Ian Critchley, Head of Child Protection and Abuse Investigations at the National Police Chiefs' Council (Ian (Critchley) warned, "The meta-universe creates a gateway for perpetrators to commit horrific crimes against children."

Details of this unusual virtual reality case have been kept secret to protect the children involved. For a variety of reasons, it was feared that prosecution would be impossible.

But a senior official familiar with the case said, "The child experienced psychological trauma similar to that of a physical rape victim. The emotional and psychological impact on the victim is more lasting than any physical injury."

Officials indicated that this poses many challenges for law enforcement, given that current legislation does not address virtual crimes. Indeed, the report notes thatMetauniverse of elementary particlessocial contactThe platform Horizon Worlds has seen many virtual sexual assaults.

Nina Jane Patel, a psychotherapist who studies the meta-universe (Nina Jane Patel) being gang-raped in Horizon is a "hyper-realistic nightmare."

Donna Jones, President of the Association of Police and Crime Commissioners UK (Donna Jones) It emphasized that women and children deserve more protection: "We need to update our laws because they have not kept up with the risk of harm caused by the invasion of the metaverse and other new platforms. The Government needs to consider changing the law to protect women and children from the metaverse."

A senior police officer added that sexual assault in the meta-universe is now "very common". But until now, British police had never prosecuted such offenses. Furthermore, Europol warned that "by 2035, it is expected that at least 25% people will spend an hour a day in the meta-universe, which will surely affect the safety of citizens. At the same time, this is something that law enforcement needs to be aware of."

It is difficult for current legislation to cover sexual assault in the meta-universe, as sexual assault is defined in sexual offense law as sexual contact without consent. In addition, the nature of the meta-universe blurs geographical boundaries. When the offender and the victim are located in different countries, it is difficult to determine which law enforcement agency has jurisdiction over a particular incident.

Critchley, head of child protection and abuse investigations at the National Police Chiefs' Council, added: "We know that criminals' criminal tactics are changing. That's why we need to work together to tackle such criminals. Being able to use technology safely, without threat or fear, is vital to ensure young people are protected in the virtual world. Our approach to regulation must therefore keep pace with the times, enabling us to relentlessly pursue and protect victims in all cyberspaces."